Description
It is to be regretted that, at this time in our nation’s history, when the Christian faith is commanding so little influence in the social, political, and economic affairs which affect this country, that the Church should be engaged with questions which affect Her own life and relevancy, rather than the life of the majority of the people.
Neglect of the Law would be sufficient to provoke God’s just wrath. But, the Church has run to excess in maligning the Law with such open violence towards, and willful suppression of, its contents, that such an infection has resulted in a systemic poisoning of all key aspects of our faith, such fallout not limited to damage to the following…
- the place and the multiple functions of God’s Law (cf. Romans 7: 7-25) in the life of the
Church and individual - the relevancy of the local church in the lives of people; individuals questioning whether it is safe or right to join a body of believers as a “church.”
- the function of derived standards such as creeds and covenants (Romans 12: 5-8, 16; Eph.4:
3- 15) - the order and essence of worship (Col. 2: 16-23, 3: 15-17; I Thes.2: 1-14)
- the Three Offices of the Church (Minister, Elder, Deacon – representing two kinds of eldersand the deaconate; Numbers 8:9-26; 25:13; Deut. 1:13-17; Mal.3:3; I Cor. 10: 15; I Tim.3:1-13; 5: 17-22; Titus 1: 5-9), which three offices (two of one kind, a third office of another kind), constituting the Church as God’s Judicial Testimony to the nations.
- the importance of preaching the whole Counsel of God and the proper administration of thesacraments (I Cor. 1: 10-31; 10:14-22; 11)
- the relevance of Christian education (Deut. 6: 1- 9; Psa. 127: 3-5; I Cor. 7: 14)
- the importance of the Great Commission, missions work, including home missions (Matt.
28: 16-20; I Tim. 3:15-16) - the necessity of Church charity and the office of the Deacon (Acts 5:1-10; Romans 12: 13; I 3: 8-13; I Tim. 5: 3-16)
- the priorities given to Christian counseling, (Romans 12: 7-8)
- the necessity of maintaining sound doctrine, sound ethics, a biblical worldview (Col. 2:
2-13) - the duty of the Church to teach the community, instruct, encourage, advise, warn, and
pray for the magistrate, counsel the judiciary (Deut.17: 8-12, 18-20; I Tim.2: 1-5) - the duty to preserve the Inspired, inerrant Scriptures in its textual preservation, doctrinal
integrity (Deut. 17: 18; Romans 3:2; Eph. 2:19-20; I Tim.3:15), - the duty to give a good report of the land, working toward true Reformation unto
righteousness throughout the world (Gen. 1:28; Psa. 2; 110; 107; Matt. 28: 16-20; Romans 16: 25-27; Eph. 4: 7-10; Rev. 10:1-7; 11:15; 16: 12-19:6) - the place given to the historic function of Church Courts and a sound discipline (Matt. 18:
11-12; I Corinthians 5; 11: 16-34; I Timothy 1: 20; II Thes.3: 6-15)
All such issues consume the churches to such a degree that little else can be done until such issues can be understood and resolved as marks of faith. Yet, is it not because of the prevailing
religious apathy so dominant in American Christianity for three generations, that the Church must, of necessity, re-lay solid foundations so as to be able to “set Her own house in order”? If
“judgment begins in the house of God” is it not proper that such chastisement should cause the church to humble herself before her divine Husband and implore His mercy and strength to reestablish “decency and good order” which is so pleasing to Him? Such is the purpose given to all Christians in our generation… and all that follow in the future.
This set comes with a downloadable PDF and audio of the book by David P Jesse (pen name of Dr Wayne C Sedlak).
